The Houston Astros needed to make a splash at Thursday’s trade deadline. Looking for pitching and a left-handed bat, the Astros had to bring in reinforcements to a team that's got 18 players on the injured list and watched their closest competition, the Seattle Mariners, swing a midnight deal for Eugenio Suárez on Wednesday night.
The Astros added Ramón Urías on Wednesday but that deal was neutralized with the news that Isaac Paredes would miss extended time with a torn hamstring. As names flew off the board, Houston stood idle until the opportunity to reunite with a World Series hero came to fruition as the deadline approached.
Astros Reportedly Agree to Acquire Carlos Correa From Twins
According to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, the Houston Astros have agreed in principle to a trade to acquire Carlos Correa from the Minnesota Twins. The deal had been rumored since Wednesday morning when a report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale suggested Correa would waive his no-trade clause to return to the Astros.
Source: The Astros are have agreed to a deal to reacquire Carlos Correa in a trade with the Twins.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) July 31, 2025
Correa also shot the report down, saying the reports weren’t “serious” on Wednesday afternoon, but Passan reports the three-time All-Star has waived his no-trade clause to make the deal happen.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft, Correa was a mainstay in the Astros’ rise to relevance in the late 2010s. In seven seasons, he hit .277/.356/.481 with 133 homers, 489 RBI, made All-Star appearances in 2017 and 2021 and helped Houston win its first World Series championship in 2017.
But Correa left for Minnesota on a three-year, $105.3 million contract and signed his current deal after failing a pair of physicals that nixed massive contracts with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. Overall, the four years with the Twins were underwhelming despite an All-Star appearance last season, but he battled plantar fasciitis in both feet and withstood ownership slashing payroll by $34 million after the 2023 campaign.
While Correa is having a disappointing 2025, hitting .267/.319/.386 with seven homers and 31 RBI, the Astros will use him at third base. Correa’s postseason track record could also be a big boost, as he ranks 10th in MLB history with 18 postseason home runs.
At 30 years old, Correa isn’t the player that logged 7.3 wins above replacement during his final season in Houston. But he is a former World Series champion that could help Houston fight through its wave of injuries. With Jeremy Peña and Yordan Alvarez expected back soon and the Astros making another deal for outfielder Jesús Sanchez, Houston isn’t about to let a potential World Series run slip through the cracks.